By Sarah Gallaher | Staff Writer
The Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, home to campus cubs Judge Indy and Judge Belle, will celebrate the bears’ first birthday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Attendees will have the chance to visit Indy and Belle while partaking in a variety of activities for students and families.
Dakota Farquhar-Caddell, associate director of student activities and director of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, said there will be caricatures, a bounce house, a DJ, face painting and complimentary T-shirts for the first 500 people to arrive. In addition, T-shirts will be available to purchase while supplies last and are available online.
“One of the cool things that we’re doing this year is we’re inviting folks to write a note or bring something they want to put in a time capsule for Indy and Belle that we’ll open up in 20 years,” Farquhar-Caddell said.
The event will also feature the launch of a new program known as the Baylor Bear Habitat Club, which will provide exclusive benefits for members. According to a news release from the Bear Habitat, the annual subscription will cost $55.56 to commemorate Indy and Belle as the 55th and 56th Baylor mascots, respectively.
“Anyone who joins it or becomes a member will be followed by the habitat on Instagram and will be part of the close friends list, so they’ll get behind-the-scenes video content, pictures, polls, things like that,” Farquhar-Caddell said. “They’ll also get invited to member-exclusive Zoom calls or Instagram lives where they can see how the bears are doing. They’ll get quarterly newsletters, some kids coloring activity pages, a commemorative coin and some other bonus features throughout the year.”
All proceeds from the Baylor Bear Habitat Club benefit the bear pit and fund Indy and Belle’s annual care costs. Subscriptions are available for purchase until Jan. 29, according to the news release.
To celebrate the bears’ first birthday, there will be free birthday cake along with the opportunity to purchase food at nearby food trucks. As for Indy and Belle, the cubs will get to indulge in their favorite treats as well.
“There will be birthday cake for the humans, and the bears will enjoy a special ice, fruit and nut birthday cake,” Farquhar-Caddell said. “It will be something that will last all day. They’ll get to chew on it and play with it.”
The cubs are only a few days apart. Indy, the older of the two, celebrated with her caregivers on Wednesday, while her cousin Belle will do the same on Monday. Judge Lady, Baylor’s previous mascot, moved to a private facility in 2023 and will celebrate her 22nd birthday on Jan. 31.
Farquhar-Caddell said Saturday’s event will be a great way to visit Indy and Belle and wish them a happy birthday.
